Sheriff Tyree (Keeper Series Book 2) by S. Cox

Author:S. Cox [Cox, S.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2024-01-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Crowds milled around the dance hall.

The scent of aftershave, perfume and brewed coffee overlaid the stale fumes of beer, making Keeper’s nose twitch. Jacob and Allie sat front and center of the stage. Allie in a frilly blue dress with blue ribbons in her hair and Jacob in a suit that would soon be too small for him, both drinking sarsaparillas. Jacob kicking his heels against the wooden chair legs.

Townsfolk in their Sunday-go-to-meeting mingled with cowboys who’d shined their boots till they shone, were clean shaven and had their hair slicked back. All anxious for the evening’s entertainment. A dull rumble of laughter and chatter mingled in the background having folks shouting to have their voices heard.

A young woman, slender, with blonde hair, wearing a turquoise silk dress, fanned herself as she walked by. She stopped and spoke to the children then nodded first at Cathleen then Keeper. He nodded back.

Something felt off about her but he couldn’t figure out what as he watched her walk away. Soon she was lost to sight in the crowd.

Keeper caught sight of Dora near the far side of the room, flirting with a cowboy who wore a blue vest and tan shirt. She wore a purple evening dress that mostly covered her cleavage. The colorful feathers that normally waved in her hair missing. She caught his eye and winked then caught Cathleen’s and turned hurriedly away. He shuddered as he caught their full stormy weight and swore his eyebrows were singed. He threw up his hands in surrender.

At that fortuitous moment, Maybell strode out on the stage. Keeper ran his finger along the neckline of his shirt as his wife turned those sparking eyes toward the stage. Maybell wore a respectable royal blue dress that covered her from throat to toe, no makeup and carried herself like a queen. She looked magnificent.

“Evening, ladies and gents. Thanks for coming out tonight to see the first traveling troupe of actors to grace a stage in El Dorado.”

Enthusiastic applause broke out.

Keeper and Cathleen, who’d been standing beside the kids, sat down next to Allie. Ezekiel sat beside Jacob, Sam and Sherry directly behind them and Henry, wearing a factious expression as he stared at Maybell, on his right. Henry still clapped enthusiastically after everyone had stopped till Keeper gave him a not-so-gentle nudge with an elbow to his ribs.

“Tonight, we’ll see singers, dancers, magicians and clowns. So, without further ado, please welcome the Tilberries’ Traveling Show.”

As she walked off the stage to thunderous applause, two clowns wearing painted faces and big floppy red shoes came summersaulting out. As they spent their time juggling wooden pins, tossing them high in the air and catching them then tripping over their long shoes the crowd roared its approval.

Next came the magician. Keeper was enjoying the show but even more the rapt faces of his daughter and her best friend. He shifted on the hard wooden chair. Next to him, Cathleen fanned herself with her hand as the bodies packed together notched up the temperature in the room.

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